Customers who don't mind a smartphone that is not of flagship status can pick up a brand new Samsung Galaxy S5 running on AT&T's network on eBay for only $350.
Samsung currently offers the AT&T Galaxy S5 with no contract for $600, which means buyers get a discount that is nearly half the original price of the device.
As of press time, more than 400 buyers have already purchased the Galaxy S5 being offered on eBay, and more than 60 other inquiries have already been made. The seller, SquareTrade, did not specify how many units are in stock, but the listing for the Galaxy S5 says there is only a "limited quantity available."
The item will ship from Chatsworth, California to anywhere in the U.S. and plenty of other countries, but buyers will have to shoulder shipping costs. They also have the option of purchasing a two-year warranty from SquareTrade for $58. The seller accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, and PayPal credit, which gives buyers the option to pay in six-month installments.
Keep in mind that the Galaxy S5 on sale is only available for AT&T. There is only one color, white, and buyers will receive the 16GB version. However, unlike the Galaxy S6, where Samsung has done away with the microSD slot, the Galaxy S5 thankfully has a slot for inserting a microSD card of up to 128GB to expand the memory.
Also, this smartphone features a 2,800 mAh removable battery, another feature that many will sorely miss as they upgrade to the Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy S6 Edge.
If that and the $350 price tag are not convincing enough, the Galaxy S5 also features an IP67 water-resistance rating, which means it can withstand being submerged in up to one meter of water for half an hour. Samsung's latest flagship cannot do that.
The biggest problem one will find with the Galaxy S5, however, is Samsung's unrefined version of TouchWiz. On the newest smartphones, Samsung has cleaned up its user experience to minimize, although not completely eliminate, bloatware. On the Galaxy S5, users will still find a lot of useless apps pre-loaded by Samsung that they will not be able to get rid of. Still, for a $350 device with impressive (and relatively recent) technology, bloatware is acceptable.
However, buyers who think $350 is too much can still go a little bit further by checking out another deal where they can get a 16GB refurbished Galaxy S5 unlocked for GSM carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, for only $300. This is not brand new, so buyers can expect the phone to have scratches, marks, and scuffs, but it will still have the original battery, USB charger, and cable that come with the device. Also, this phone is not compatible with CDMA, so customers on Verizon and Sprint will not be able to use this at all.
More than 130 refurbished Galaxy S5 units have already been sold. The seller ships from New York City to most countries, but buyers pay for the shipping and import fees.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
